Conclave of Orthodox Youth Calls for United Action

A call for united action in the furtherance of common goals of Orthodox Jewry was issued at the first ideological Seminar of Orthodox Jewish Youth meeting this weekend in Long Beach. The conclave was attended by more than 100 representatives of major Jewish religious youth organizations from all parts of the U. S. The event was sponsored by the American Zionist Youth Foundation and coordinated by Arie Hann, the liaison director for the Religious Youth in North America. An analysis of the theme “Israel in Current Jewish Thought,” presented to the seminar, stressed the reciprocal ties between Israel and the diaspora and the special obligations of religious youth during this age of alienation. The introductory address on Jewish unity, was delivered by Prof. Hillel Ben Sasson of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. It was reported that in Israel there has been a real revolution among the youth: that there has arisen a young generation called “The Generation of the Knitted Yarmulkes.” They are religious, intellectual, prominent in all walks of Israel society and can be found in the bunkers of Suez, on the battlefield, parachuting to earth with knitted yarmulkes on their heads. They present a new image of the young religious Jew in Israel. The delegates were told that in the U. S. there is a parallel generation of young Torah scholars and intellectuals who are concerned with the direction Jewish life is taking and that the American generation of Knitted Yarmulkes must join forces with its counterparts in Israel.

The main resolutions approved by the Ideological Seminar reaffirmed “the necessity for strengthening the Orthodox education of Jewry in the Golah”; the need for closer identification with Israel and the historical rights of the Jewish people in the land of Israel; and “the vitality of the strengthening of Jewish solidarity in general, and with Russian Jewry in particular.” The resolutions also called for the formation of a “joint conference of Orthodox youth organizations in the United States that will work together toward stated common goals of Orthodox Jewry”; recognition of the plight of the Palestinian refugees “created as a result of the belligerent Arab states’ attitude toward Israel. We feel Israel should be ready to share the burden of resettling the Arab refugees, along with the rest of the world, but we affirm that this should in no way endanger the sovereignty of Israel and the rights of the Jewish people to a national homeland.” Another resolution was adopted affirming the natural, historical and religious rights of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. Represented at the conclave were delegates from major religious youth organizations which included Bnei Akiva, Yavneh, Noar Hamizrachi, National Council of Young Israel, Yeshiva University, Stern College, Brooklyn College Orthodox Students and Gesher Foundation.